to reaching your goals. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. good morning. round one, romney. an energetic mitt romney comes out firing with a strong performance in the first presidential debate. >> virtually everything he said about my tax plan is inaccurate. your title as a president, you own an airplane and a house, but not your own facts. >> the president did not seem to ben his game. can one night change the race? "today" exclusive, matt's rare and revealing interview with facebook ceo mark zuckerberg, how does he deal with the spotlight? and does he take responsibility for his company's recent struggles? >> the question i ask myself and i hear over and over, if a company has a billion customers,

how can they not be killing it making money? >> that answer as the social network reaches a major milestone today. and remember the school bus monitor taunted by middle schoolers. what she's doing to turn her story into something positive today, thursday, october 4th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> we both had a late night. >> a lot of coffee. >> exactly. this debate as we know was billed as make or break for mitt romney. and by all accounts he made it last night, the clear winner. >> from the start, romney controlled the direction of the

debate, aggressively pushing president obama on the economy, job creation, and health care. we're going to talk to top advisers about how their candidates faired just ahead. we're also going to talk with chris matthews who had very strong feelings about the debate. but we want to begin with chuck todd, chief white house correspondent in denver this morning. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, savannah. look, this may have been the most substantive debate in the television era. and mitt romney dealt with it as if his campaign depended on it while a subdued president obama let romney dictate the terms of the debate. not exactly the gift the president was looking for on his 20th wedding anniversary. >> and so i just want to wish, sweetie, you happy anniversary and let you know that a year from now we will not be celebrating it in front of 40 million people. >> reporter: from the very beginning, mitt romney displayed a confident and commanding presence on stage, almost

one-upping the president from the start. >> congratulations to you, mr. president, on your anniversary. i'm sure this was the most romantic place you can imagine here with me. >> that set the tone as romney seemed to control the tempo, sometimes even serving as the moderator. >> let's get back to medicare. >> reporter: and it didn't take long for the deep philosophical disagreements to come through. first on taxes. >> now, governor romney's proposal that he's been promoting for 18 months calls for a $5 trillion tax cut on top of $2 trillion of additional spending for our military. and he is saying that he is going to pay for by closing loopholes and deductions. the problem is he's been asked over 100 times how you would close those deductions and loopholes and he hasn't been able to identify them. >> virtually everything he said about my tax plan is inaccurate. if the tax plan he described, i would say absolutely not. i'm not looking for a $5 trillion tax cut. what i've said is i won't put in

place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. >> for 18 months he's been running on this tax plan. and now, five weeks before the election, he's saying that his big bold idea is never mind. >> let me repeat what i said. i'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut, that's not my plan. >> reporter: another stark difference, medicare, one of the few times the president played aggressor. >> it's called premium support, but it's understood to be a voucher program. >> and you don't support that? >> i don't. and let me explain why. >> again, that's for future people, not current retirees. >> so if you're 54 or 55, you might want to listen because this, this will affect you. >> reporter: still, romney seemed to control many of the back and forths, even the lighter moments. >> i apologize, mr. president, i use that term with all respect. >> i like it. >> good. >> the difference in their debate demeanors was most evident during the closing statements. >> you know, four years ago we

were going through a major crisis. and yet, my faith and confidence in the american future is undiminished. >> this is an important election, and i'm concerned about america. i'm concerned about the direction america has been taking over the last four years. >> you know, four years ago i said that i'm not a perfect man and i wouldn't be a perfect president and that's probably a promise that governor romney thinks i've kept. but i also promised i'd fight every single day on behalf of the american people. >> you can look at the record. there's no question in my mind that if the president were to be reelected you'll see a middle class squeeze with incomes going down and prices going up. i'll get incomes up again. >> reporter: busy day on the campaign trail, the president does rallies here in denver, then flies to madison, wisconsin for a big rally this afternoon. mitt romney, nothing here, but flies to virginia and has a

rally with his running mate paul ryan. >> chuck todd, thank you. david axelrod is a senior adviser to president obama's reelection campaign. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah, how are you doing? >> we all know the president is a fiercely competitive man, was he satisfied with that performance? >> well, i think one aspect of the president he's never satisfied, he's always challenging himself, i think. but you know, savannah i was with you last wee and i joked that mitt romney put more preparation into it than they did into the invasion in normandy and you saw last night. i expected a strong performance, got a strong performance, but that's what it was, a performance. the underlying facts remain the underlying facts. he denied what has been the centerpiece of his campaign, a $5 trillion tax cut. he again refused to offer any way to pay for it, and the bottom line is what the analysts have said. this means either he's going to explode the deficit or he's going to stick it to the middle class with a $2,000 tax

increase. and if that happens, how's that going to move our economy forward or build the middle class? so the fundamental distinctions on this and many other issues remain what they were before the debate. >> let me back up one moment. it sounds like you're acknowledging the president was out debated and less prepared than mitt romney. why is that? >> i didn't say he was outdebated. he treated the american people like adults and told them the truth, which was a fundamental distinction between him and governor romney. governor romney said i'll repeal obama care and keep all the good parts and i'll tell you later how i'm going to do it. we'll roll back wall street reform and we'll keep all the good parts and i'll tell you later how i'm going to do it. i'll cut taxes, but i'll tell you later how we're going to pay for it. defense spending, how we're going to pay for it, and fundamentally, this was his pattern all night long. but what i said last week was that i thought he'd give a

strong performance, and he did give a strong performance, but that's what it was, a performance. the american people want the honest truth about where we need to go as a country, how we rebuild this economy, the middle class. and that's what the president did last night. and people respect that. >> you know, david, a lot of your supporters were dismayed and frankly mystified to not hear the president go after romney on things like his remarks on the 47% of america. he didn't repeat bain capital attacks, attacks about the tax return, these are staples of your campaign. has he abandoned those attacks? or did he make a strategic decision not to be aggressive in this debate? >> no, he made a decision to discuss fundamental issues facing this country. there's no doubt these are issues in the campaign. your past, your record are part of the campaign. governor romney's past at bain capital is what he's running on. he made the remarks kind of writing off 47% of the country. but people know that, savannah, and what they were looking for

last night were real, honest distinctions on the issue. the president gave those distinctions and did it in an honest way. governor romney did not. and he will be held to account for that i'm sure. >> will he change his approach for the next debate? there will be a remark as we know. will we see a more aggressive president? >> well, i know he's looking very much forward to the debate on the -- on the 16th. and i'm not -- i'll lead it to the critics to decide whether, you know, how his performance rates on that day. but i know this, he will come, he will make an honest argument with the american people about how to rebuild the economy and the middle class and he'll hold governor romney to account for these big gaffes in the truth we saw last night. >> thanks for your time. appreciate it. nine minutes after the hour, here's david. team romney, ed gallespie is an adviser to the campaign.

what did governor romney achieve last night? >> i think you had millions of americans watching governor romney, seeing him, many of them for the first time, and a chance to look at him without 30-second attack ads and 12 second snippets on the news. and you saw someone with the facts who understands what we need to do to get the country moving again. who had a plan to move us forward. and i think that they also saw someone with a record of being able to work across the aisle to get results for his state and someone who would do the same thing for his country. >> one of the charges against governor romney and it came from the president and others that while he put in a strong performance, still gaps in what he'd do, understanding what he'd done in key areas. one is balancing the budget. he talked about simpson/bowles. he didn't back them. in fact, they've looked at his own plan and says he wants to extend the bush tax cuts, he

wants to increase military spending and rejected a 10 to 1 ratio when it came to cutting spending and raising revenue. so the math simply doesn't add up, does it? >> it does, david, actually. there have been six studies that have analyzed what governor romney has proposed in terms of lowering tax rates and expanding the base. it would result in economic growth again. and six of those studies say that this could be done very credible studies without increasing the deficit. in fact, a study came out as i'm sure you know on tuesday that said president obama would raise taxes on middle class families by $4,000 in order just to meet the debt service that he's racking up with $16 trillion in debt now on our way to $20 trillion if he's reelected. i think the american people saw governor romney's plans for the future. we didn't hear much, frankly, from president obama about any second-term agenda, and he didn't have a very credible defense of his first term agenda. and i think the american people

saw that last night. >> on health care he says he would repeal obama care, but he wants to protect those who are getting care with pre-existing conditions. a nonpartisan study came out and said there'd be 89 million americans who would have gap in that coverage and under president romney would not be covered. >> governor romney's made clear when he repeals obama care, which as you know has a very negative impact, not only on our economy in terms of jobs loss, but the cost of premiums have gone up by $2,500, they go up by another $2,500 if president obama's reelected. and what romney has put forward is a plan to repeal it but also replace it to hold down cost through competition. but also he's not saying we're not going to have a regulated marketplace in health care. there's a role for government in health care. and one of those roles is to ensure that people who have coverage for pre-existing conditions are able to maintain that coverage. and that's part of governor romney's plan. >> the debate will continue.

thanks very much this morning, i appreciate it. >> thank you, david. well, chris matthews was very vocal about president obama's performance following the debate. here's some of what he had to say. >> certainly there was no bobby kennedy in the green room before barack obama came out tonight. i don't know what he was doing out there. he had his head down, he was enduring the debate rather than fighting it. i don't know how he let romney get away with the crap he threw out tonight. >> i agree. >> about social security. where was obama tonight? >> and chris matthews joins us now. chris, really, tell us how you really feel. you're a supporter of president obama. what do you think happens? >> yeah. well the way the president handled it was just not up to the task. romney was able to talk about things like funding for pbs and never had explained his position supporting bankruptcy for the american auto industry. obama rescued the american auto industry, our largest industrial industry, it never came up. on the very heart of the romney

economic plan, on the tax cut, why did he insist on the deductions? they're not details, the president called them. they're not loopholes, they're mortgag mortgages, charitable deductions, state and local. huge issues at the very heart of the romney economic plan. the 47%, he let romney come out there as a guy who cared about people and social security. he's on the record with his fundraisers where you pay $50,000 to hear what he really thinks as using your phrase. he said these people were all moochers and bums. on health care, four or five times he slipped away. romney in recent days has said if you have a health problem, you're poor and live in an apartment, as he put it, we won't let you die there, you're going to go to the emergency room. that is the romney economic health care plan. at each point he said on pre-existing conditions only if you have continuing coverage. then he said i'm going to take the principles of massachusetts and apply them there. the principle of massachusetts is individual mandate. how did the president let him get away with point after point

after point? >> this reminded me a lot of bu bu bush/kerry in '04. do you think it was that? or do you think the president didn't want to be as feisty as he saw in his challenger? >> well, i think he had to be both the moderator and the fact-checker. he could've done it like a gentleman. i thought romney was excellent with his civility, respect for the office of the presidency. i think the president could have done the same thing and sliced through all the claims by romney. romney's been accused of etch-a-sketch. >> thank you very much for getting up early after a long night in denver. >> thanks, david. we want to get a check of the other top stories. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, savannah, david, good morning, everyone. renewed shelling on syria this morning as turkey retaliates against the crisis-stricken neighbor for a second day. eamon, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, natalie. that incident yesterday that triggered this assault was from the syrian military, a mortar round landed in southeastern turkey killing five people including a mother and her three children and an additional woman. now the turkish military has responded for a second straight day shelling military positions six miles inside syria. we understand according to syrian human rights organization that syrian soldiers have been killed. meanwhile, here in turkey, the turkish parliament is holding an emergency session, they're debating the possibility of authorizing the prime minister to have the power to deploy forces, including ground troops inside syria. but certainly that opens a can of worms that people in the region think would be extremely problematic and really put this region in further turmoil than it's seen over the past 18 months. >> thank you, eamon. health officials say a deadly meningitis outbreak may be linked to steroid injections manufactured at a massachusetts pharmacy.

the drug maker has recalled the steroid mostly used to treat back pain as investigators work to confirm the source of the infection. so far, more than two dozen people have been sickened across five states. four people have died, and experts say those numbers could grow. the type of meningitis is caused by a fungus, it is not as contagious as the more common forms. and for more information on this, head to our website today.com. a new three-year contract will keep chicago's teachers off the picket line as the union overwhelmingly approved the deal that includes pay increases and a new evaluation system. miguel cabrera has made the history books becoming the first baseball player in 45 years to earn the prestigious triple crown. the detroit tiger leads the american league in all three major statistical categories, batting averages, home runs, and rbis. cabrera joins the short list of baseball players to boast the achievement.

support flooded in from around the country after wisconsin news anchor jennifer livingston spoke out on-air about a letter she received that criticized her weight. the man who wrote the letter isn't backing down. personal injury lawyer kenneth krause is standing by his letter to livingston releasing a statement saying he'd be happy to help her transform herself over the next year for all of her viewers to see. livingston invited krause to appear on her show. he, however, declined. it is 7:18. back over to savannah, david, and al. >> good morning. >> good morning to everybody. and we've got a snowy morning for our friends in the northern northern plains. out of montana and the dakotas, heading into minnesota. we have a fairly good norm going on. we have winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories. snowfall amounts anywhere from six to eight inches of snow in

northern minnesota. the temperatures are taking a drop in much of the plains. we'll have the details on that in a half hour. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> fender benders going on. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. we are seeing the rain advancing. it's tapered off to a few scattered sprinkles around the d.c. metro area and farther to the east and southeast. around the bay, it's raining slightly. it's going to end in a couple hours. sun back with a high near 80 >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. we've got a major milestone to announce this morning. facebook has now reached 1 billion users. coming up, matt talks about that and more with mark zuckerberg. but first, natalie has more on the social network that has changed the world. >> it has. from the wall street debut to

the launch of the time line, it's been a big year for facebook. and with the unprecedented billion member benchmark, it's inching closer to having all the friends in the world. >> reporter: it was 2004 when a 19-year-old named mark zuckerberg started a small website for college kids to share information. >> did you ever dream 2004 in your dorm room in harvard when you started this thing you'd end up sitting here one day and say we're going to cross 200 million users? >> no, i think that's a difficult thing to foresee. >> reporter: but today a benchmark as facebook announces it has 1 billion users, 1/7 of the world's population. >> facebook is an ecosystem. not only connects you to friends, not only connects yo uh to business opportunities, politicians are using it for their candidacy. it is huge. >> reporter: who is facebook's billionth friend? they joined on september 14th. that week the median age was about 22 years old.

you might also guess they weren't american. facebook estimates 4 out of every 5 monthly active users live outside the u.s. and canada with many users logging on from brazil, india, indonesia and mexico. >> clearly, the audience for facebook that continue to grow is going to be global. >> reporter: today, facebook is posting its first ad ever online translated in 15 different languages. >> these are things people use to get together so they can open up and connect. >> reporter: to date, facebook users have liked something 1.18 trillion times. checked in somewhere 17 billion times, and shared an astonishing 219 billion photos. but they've also connected in ways few could have predicted. >> a facebook page set up to support whitney has gotten thousands of likes with its stop bullying message. >> i posted that photo on facebook, my kid looks really sick. within the first hour, three

friends telling me to go to the hospital, it could be kawasaki disease. >> countless other stories untold. 1 billion users and growing. what's not to like? >> and with all those users logging on, facebook say people have friended each other 140 billion times and despite the strength in the mobile world they say they have 600 million mobile users, savannah. >> that's amazing. >> it is. >> connected the world. >> i think i tried, i'm waiting. i'm waiting for you to get back to me. >> he's the 1 billion. >> i liked you. all right. thanks. coming up, we'll have matt's exclusive interview with mark zuckerberg as he opens up about the company's struggles and its future. we'll also hear from the bus monitor badly tormented by young students. you probably remember the story. now we'll tell you how she is fighting back to end bullying. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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the words were hurtful, the video disturbing, middle schoolers bullying their adult bus monitor earlier this year. karen klein, the target of that harassment received support from all around the world when people saw that video. and this morning, she's here for an exclusive live interview. she's going to tell us how she's going to pay that support forward and try to bring an end to bullying. good morning, everyone. 7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the fourth day of october, 2012 i'm savannah gurthrie alongside david gregory in for matt. >> also ahead coming up this morning, steve irwin was outspoken, of course, entertaining, and at times even

controversial. especially when he used his 1-month-old son in one of his shows. today that boy is 8 years old and following in his dad's footsteps. six years after irwin's tragic death. we're going to catch up with him and the rest of the irwin family coming up later. >> he's definitely in the family business. and we'll show you how a school bus driver turns the tide on another driver who kept using the sidewalk to get around his bus as it picked up children. you'll want to see that. but we're going to begin this half hour with more on facebook. with 1 billion users worldwide, matt recently sat down with the social network's creator and ceo mark zuckerberg for a rare, revealing and exclusive interview. >> three years ago, we sat down in the studio, you were at 175 million users, three years later, 1 billion. that's with a "b." what does it mean to you? not to a company, to you personally? >> there's no way when we were getting started with this i would have ever thought that, myself or any of the people around me would be able to be a

part of something like this. it's incredible. >> reporter: what's also incredible is that mark zuckerberg has changed the way the world interacts and communicates, a feat he's accomplished at the age of 28. >> people look at you and say not only is this visionary and the technical guy, this is the ceo. i was reading an article and it said this is a guy who is learning as he goes, like taking flying lessons but you're in a cockpit of a 747 and there are people in the plane. how do you feel about that? >> well, i take the responsibility extremely seriously. and our responsibility as a company is just to do the best that we can and build the best products for people. and if we build the best products, then i think that we can continue leading in the space for a long time. that's what we need to stay focused on. >> will it happen naturally? you build the best product, can the company make money. i'm not a tech guy and i'm not really a business guy. and the question i ask myself

and i hear over and over, if a company has a billion customers, how can they not be killing it making money? >> well, i think it depends on your definition of killing it. we are making billions of dollars, we're a public company, so i can talk about that. but the future is really going to be about mobile and the opportunities for growth there. >> have you been slow to get there? >> well, we do have the most used mobile apps. there's 5 billion people in the world that have phones, we should be able to serve many more people and grow the user base there. >> while he's excited and optimistic about the future of his company, he's also aware of the setbacks. >> let's do this. >> facebook went public in may amidst a flurry of hype and anticipation, but the ipo was deemed disastrous by some, beset by trading glitches, the stock plunged about 40%, the value of the company decreased by billions. >> an article i read said is

mark zuckerberg in over his hoodie? do you think a ceo who has more experience than you might be able to take this company to the next level and leave you to develop the products? >> i take this responsibility that i have really seriously. building the products and services and building the business go hand in hand. >> many consider apple the gold standard. zuckerberg is friendly with apple's current ceo tim cook, but in many ways models himself after steve jobs. >> what was the thing you observed about steve jobs that makes a difference in your life as a corporate executive every day? >> he was just so focused, right? for him, the user experience was the main thing that mattered, the only thing that mattered. and i think there's a lot that every company can learn from that. >> last weekend, apple sold about 5 million of their new

iphone 5s. did you buy one? >> tim actually sent one to me. it's a wonderful device. >> you got a freebie? so are you now an iphone 5 user? is that the phone you've got in your pocket or back on your desk. >> i use all of them. >> are you just not playing favorites here? >> iphone is a great platform. we actually, there are more people who use facebook on android. we spend our time building for all of these different things. >> zuckerberg might seem overly careful with his words, but that's because he knows his company is at a critical crossroads. >> i'm not giving you any news you don't know, but it's been a tough several months around here. what is morale like? a lot of these people came here thinking one thing was going to happen and it's changed. >> we're obviously in a tough cycle now where -- that doesn't help morale. but at the same time, you know, people here are focused on the things that they're building. >> you don't do a lot of interviews. >> uh-huh. >> and yet you did one not long ago at tech crunch justice of

the peace apparently was pretty successful because the next day the company stock was up by about 7% or so. did you immediately think, i've got to get out there and do that more often. i'm going to do "dancing with the stars," i'm going to do a reality show. >> i only really want to go out and talk when there's something to say. a lot of people like being in the press all the time and that's not us. >> attention from the press might not be something that mark zuckerberg seeks out, but he's found himself in the headlines and on magazine covers. for a side of his life he's tried to keep private. >> it wasn't long ago earn still in harvard. and now not only have you become this incredible ceo of this huge company, your personal life is on the front page of magazines. the wedding on the front page of "people" magazine, how does that feel? >> it's odd. and it's surprising. you know, it doesn't take away from these moments. the wedding was an awesome thing.

we planned -- we intentionally didn't want a lot of attention. so what we did was, my wife and i planned it as a surprise. and i sent out this e-mail to all of our friends telling them i was having a surprise party for her for graduating from medical school. it was a small wedding, 80 or so people, but it was really nice. and then people want to write about it afterwards, fine, but i wanted to make it so that we can enjoy the moment because that's what it's about. >> were you surprised by the interest? >> to some extent i always get surprised when people focus on things that i think are at the margin of that. >> the celebrity side of it. >> but i try to keep everything just simple besides that. i mean, my lifestyle is extremely simple. i wear the same thing every day, right? if you could see my closet -- >> you have 12 of those t-shirts. >> probably about 20. and my wife has a bunch of stuff, her drawers are primarily scrubs for the hospital, and i get one drawer.

>> are you telling me at home you have one drawer of a wardrobe closet? >> like men everywhere. >> not this guy. i've got a slightly bigger closet. >> zuckerberg insists he's a simple guy, happy to be at the helm of the company he loves. >> i just love what we're doing here. it's my -- it's the company's mission, my life's mission. i'm super excited about that. >> interesting to see that. and if you want to catch more of matt's exclusive interview, you can watch it tonight on "rock center with brian williams" at 10:00, 9:00 central time here on nbc. we'll get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much, savannah. and we've got our friends hanging out here. don't need the sweatshirt today, it's warm and humid, you can probably take that off. but take a look at these temperatures. ahead of this front, we've got 68 in cleveland, 75 in chicago. behind the front, we're looking at temperatures in the 30s and 40s. and l 40s. look what happens as the front

moves through tonight. temperatures start dropping. st. louis, 80. chicago rk as we go into the day on thursday, down to 50 degrees. by friday, it's only up into the mid-40s. bismarck, north dakota, a temperature of 25 degrees for a high. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> some of that chilly air arriving here over the weekend. right now, we are dealing with scattered light sprinkles and wet roadways in maryland and west virginia. a few scattered sprinkles in washington and points west and southwest. southeast and northeast we have a few lingering showers. they move off to the east. sun breaking out this afternoon. lower humidity moves in. gorgeous day tomorrow. a shower saturday ev don't forget, check that weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. savannah? >> thanks, al. coming up next, the silver

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at 7:43 now, we're back to a follow-up of a bullying incident caught on tape that became a teachable moment for many parents. middle school students in upstate new york hurling cruel and relentless insults at their 68-year-old bus monitor karen klein. we'll catch up with her exclusively in a moment. but first, here's nbc's tamron hall. >> good morning, david. her story is a sobering reminder that bullying is an ongoing problem. well, now she's trying to use the incident to bring an end to the taunts and violence.

>> your reflexes are so slow. >> you have reflexes like an elephant. >> this profanity-laced video of karen klein, a 68-year-old bus monitor from new york being ridiculed mercilessly from a group of seventh graders shocked us all. during the ten-minute long attack, insults hurled were nonstop. >> you don't have a family because they all killed themselves -- >> the video filmed by one student on his cell phone shows the aggression escalate as they began to physically poke her and even make threats. >> i can't believe it happened. nobody should have to put up with that. >> reporter: klein says the meanness stopped only when the kids got off the bus. she didn't report the incident to school officials. >> i just can't explain why i did what i did, or why i didn't do what i should have done.

>> reporter: in fact, she learned that the video now seen more than 8 million times had been posted when she was called in by the school the next morning as part of their investigation. >> we expect victims to report all the time and the fact is, so often they don't because they're afraid. she's the adult in this situation. would people believe her? or they might blame her for not taking into her own hands and doing something about it. >> students found to be involved will face strong disciplinary action. >> came in the form of a year-long suspension. either the boys or their families have since sent klein a letter of apology. >> i cannot believe i did that. i'm sorry for being so mean and i will never treat anyone this way again. >> reporter: the community at large rallied behind the grandmother of eight. a donation fund set up on the website raised over $700,000. now karen will pay it forward using some of the money to launch an anti-bullying foundation. >> if this is doing good, then i don't need to be sad about it.

>> so by the way, the goal for fund raising started by a good samaritan was to get karen a few thousand bucks for a nice vacation. clearly the pot swelled more than anyone could imagine. reportedly more than 30,000 people in 84 countries made contributions. >> tamron, thanks very much. karen klein is with us now exclusively. good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> you have to watch that and it's got to be very difficult to see that tape again. >> i never did see the whole thing. i didn't want to. i just saw what i just saw now pretty much. i didn't want -- i just couldn't. >> people looking at it with my reaction in part was why didn't you as a bus monitor take these kids to task right away? isn't that part of what an adult should be doing in those situations? you must have thought about that a lot. >> oh, yes, i did. i thought about that. i didn't do it.

>> why? do you have any -- >> i'm glad i didn't. now that this has happened. >> right. >> now maybe we can get the bullying thing known. >> you're saying you're glad you didn't do -- >> that i didn't do something. >> it did make it on youtube. you were pleased ultimately with that. >> yeah. i mean, i still don't understand if it was a boy that took the video which i didn't even know he was doing. if he put it on or if somebody saw it and they put it on. i don't know. >> what is the bigger -- you've got a foundation now, this is anti-bullying month, what is the conversation you would like to start with your incident with what you've been through? >> oh, i hope that nobody else has to go through anything like that. but -- it's really hard to say. >> what would you like -- what kind of conversation would you like to see parents have with their kids who are this age who

may see this or may be hearing about it? >> well, i'd like them to tell the kids that it's not to be done. it's not right. how would you like it if somebody did it to you? but i'm afraid that some of the kids have been bullied and that's why they did what they did. >> are you satisfied -- we mentioned you didn't file a complaint after the incident. a couple of the boys have been suspended, they're in a reengagement center. they've written letters to you. are you satisfied? >> four of them are going to an alternative school. >> you think that's adequate? >> pardon? >> do you think it's adequate? >> well, that's not all they're doing. they also are supposed to be doing 50 hours of community service at a nursing home. and no sports. they were supposed to get their own transportation, but that didn't work out. >> there's a bus tour that's

going to feature kind of a musical psa against bullying. we've got a group of these young, talented artists on the plaza this morning. >> right outside the window. >> so you've got to feel good about them helping you with your message. >> i do. such great kids. >> what have you got there? >> i've got a shirt for you. >> all right. what does it say here? to end bullying now. good for you. and the karen klein foundation. well -- >> i have one too. >> you do? >> but i've got pink. you're lucky you didn't get a pink one. >> thanks for coming here and sharing your story. good luck with this. thank you very much. still ahead, the young children of the late crocodile hunter steve irwin open up about following in their father's footsteps. some places i go really aggravate my allergies.

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7:56 is your time now on this thursday, october 4th, 2012. breaking news on the roads right now. let's check in with danella sealock. >> hi, outer loop of the beltway, the exit ramp is blocked as well as two right lanes by the accident there. tlas on the outer loop, it's just a mess. here is the look at connecticut avenue. as you approach college park, heavy on the brakes the entire wake. back to you. >> thank you.

good morning, i'm storm team 4 meteorologist, tom kierein. a few more scattered sprinkles off and on around the area. the line of steadier rain, it's light rain there. later today, sun breaking out this afternoon. lower humidity moves in with highs near 80. tomorrow, sunny, low humidity. a cool start. afternoon highs near 80. over the weekend, a shower saturday afternoon or evening. cool showers on sunday. >> thank

8:00 now on this thursday morning, it's the fourth day of october, 2012. it's 68 degrees out here on rockefeller plaza. downright balmy. >> it's bring your pharmacist to workday. i've never seen so many. >> we have so many people on our plaza in lovely white lab coats. i know, david gregory, you know your pharmacist quite well. >> i do. >> what are you trying to imply? >> i don't know. whatever, draw your own conclusions. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside david gregory and al roker.

i have important news and i have to say -- >> like being with the -- >> good news for this guy, not such good news for you, david. a new study found men with bald or shaved heads are more masculine. so i ask you, tienes mas macho? al roker or in this corner, david gregory? >> hold on, let me fix my hankie. we have this video that's raising eyebrows, the next generation of the crocodile hunter here. the son of the late crocodile hunter all grown up now and feeding his first croc. his older sister is also carrying on his work. we'll hear from both of them coming up. how a fed up school bus driver dealt with an irate and impatient car driver. we're going to show you what

happened. wow this is just -- >> where do you got to go? where are you going? >> very scary. >> aggressive driving in the dictionary, that's what you see. and we have a true icon in our studio this morning. julian julie andrews is here along with her daughter. we want to check in with natalie morales with a check of today's top stories. good morning, everyone. republican mitt romney is winning strong reviews for his performance in last night's presidential debate. nbc's andrea mitchell was in denver for the faceoff and joining us now for fact checking. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. from a very cold denver, the two men tangoed for 90 minutes. and they even argued over big bird. mitt romney cited public broadcasting as one program he'd cut. even though the debate was moderated by pbs. >> i like big bird, i like you

too. but i'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from china to pay for it. >> big bird and pbs's parent gets only .01% of the federal budget. the president said he'd cut the budget by $4 trillion. >> i put forward a $4 trillion deficit reduction plan. >> reporter: he's counting money saved by letting the bush tax cuts expire for people making more than $250,000 a year. he's also counting $1 trillion in savings by drawing down the wars in iraq and afghanistan. nonpartisan budget experts call that a gimmick because those wars were deficit financed in the first place. mitt romney denied president obama's claim that his tax cuts would cost $5 trillion. >> i'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut, that's not my plan. my plan is not to put in place any tax cut that will add to the deficit. >> romney has proposed making the bush tax cuts permanent for everyone and then cutting all rates an additional 20%.

he would also repeal the alternative minimum tax and permanently repeal the estate tax. the nonpartisan tax policy center concluded romney's tax plan would cost $4.8 trillion over ten years. romney said his plan would be paid for by closing loopholes and getting rid of deductions. but again, he refused to be specific. and because of the romney comments about pbs, big bird was trending on twitter wednesday night with 17,000 tweets per minute on the plight of big bird. >> all right. andrea mitchell in denver after a long night there, great job last night, andrea. thank you. turkey's parliament has approved military operations outside its border if the government feels they are necessary. the move comes as turkish troops shell syrian targets for a second day today. turkey retaliated for mortar fire from syria wednesday that reportedly killed at least five civilians and a turkish border town. nato declared the support for turkey after an emergency meeting last night.

now for a look at what is trending today. our quick round of "what has you talking" online. big bird was a big winner after mitt romney said he'd cut pbs funding. urged followers to occupy sesame street posting pictures saying look what mitt did to me. it also warns that romney will end bert and ernie's right to a civil union. the debate was the most tweeted about event in u.s. political history. former saved by the bell star is suffering from bipolar disorder. "people" interviewed the women after lark's appearance on tv last spring had fans wondering about her drastic new look. "people" said she did talk about voices in her head and explained long pauses in her answers as moments of prayer. and a cleveland school bus driver was fed up with one woman

he said repeatedly drove on the sidewalk to go on his bus when he stopped to pick up a disabled child. so he had police set up a sting. >> all right. justice has been served. >> well, the driver pleaded not guilty tuesday to reckless operation and failing to stop for a school bus. that will teach him. it's 8:06. let's go over to al with a check of your weather. >> guess he doesn't know about the video. >> i guess not. >> thanks, nat. let's see what we've got for you as far as today's weather is er isrned. concerned. the pick city of the day is laredo, texas. su suny, hot, near 100 degrees. as we look at the satellite, patchy, dense fog. snow through the central plains move sboog the upper great lakes. some areas get up to a foot of snow. heat continues in the southwest. more rain for florida as miami

continues the march on and goes for the wettest year on record. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> cloudy and humid. predawn sprinkles. light rain moving across the bay and scattered sprinkles in virginia and west virginia and maryland. much of this is going to end in an hour. sun back this afternoon. low humidity. highs near 80. tomorrow, a gorgeous day. chilly start. low humidity and lots of sun. increasing clouds saturday. highs, mid-70. a greater chance of cool showers sunday. time now for today's take three where we share our thoughts on topics that caught our attention. we've got a doozie for topic number one. >> so there's a new study that says if you have a lot of hair, you're perceived as less masculine, less powerful than a

man who might have less hair, might be bald or clean shaven. >> how do you feel about that, david? >> i'm trying to process this. i guess it makes some sense. i like people embracing the idea, you have what you have, you don't have what you don't have. own it, you know, get rid of it, if you're going to shave it close. there's action heroes, military types who are bald. >> the matt lauer effect. >> you spend so much time on it, on your hair. >> it's a process, yeah. >> it actually got me thinking, what would you look like without hair. so i just -- i think we have a shot of david -- with no hair. >> wow. >> you kind of look younger, actually. very masculine and powerful. >> this is a study. >> if you think i'm going to take this lying down, you're absolutely right. >> you look very masculine like that.

>> and basically, i think what they're trying to point out that the men, by the way who have -- >> who says we're not taking this seriously? >> men who are thinning, though, or who have the comb-over, time to get rid of that. >> he's actually wearing a wig. >> i think we've proven today that bald is beautiful. >> it is beautiful. >> yeah. >> nicely done! >> there you go. >> fantastic. >> let's move on to take two. >> okay. >> cameron diaz just turned 40. she gave an interesting interview where she said she basically feels better at 40 than she did at 25. she says it's the first time in my life i'm content, getting older is the best part of my life. i know myself better, feel more capable, and as far as the physicality, i feel better at 40 than i did at 25. matt, you and i just had our 40th birthday. nine months ago, i'm almost 41. but i absolutely agree with that. i think at 40, i think there's a

new freedom. you know who you are, you kind of know where you're going in life. you know, you're hopefully content with your situation. but in my 20s, it was all about not sure where i was or who i was. >> what does cameron diaz have to feel bad about? she's beautiful, she's single, rich, a movie star. >> right. i don't know. >> but i do think it's true. i think -- i mean as a man, obviously, i think women are beautiful at 40. i do think the -- >> aredo you running for office? >> no, 40s are fantastic. >> sure. >> even though you're not bald, you get it. >> i'm trying to offer a little bit about what's in here. >> i do, and i like that you're opening up and showing this side of yourself. >> how about you, savannah? >> i actually love 40, it's 41 i really fear. no, i'm just kidding. i really do think you feel better. >> i think we get better as we get older. >> our take three. boo. billions spent on halloween.

can you believe it? looks like we're going to spend about $8 billion on halloween costumes and decorations. $310 million on pet costumes. >> we spent $1 million on the bald costumes. >> it's a fantastic holiday for kids. candy, by the way. >> i know. >> we're going to bring our dogs in tomorrow. >> i know, pet parade tomorrow. >> pet costumes. coming up next, the crocodile hunter's kids. they're all grown up and in the family business too right after this. ♪

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back now at 8:15. steve irwin, the famed crocodile hunter made his name with up close encounters with the world's most dangerous creatures. and six years after his tragic death, his children are carrying on his work. >> reporter: call it reptile initiation. one large crocodile fed by one small boy. >> it's kind of funny watching it how they're striking up. it was pretty fun. >> reporter: this isn't just any 8-year-old, it's robert irwin. who got his first introduction to crocodiles as a baby in the

arms of dad, steve irwin. >> you done remember this, but you came in this when you were just 1-month-old and your dad brought you in here and he lifted you up like this for that lion king moment to show everyone the new baby. wasn't that a great day? so mommy and daddy got home that night. we were on the nbc "today" show. >> many say he went too far. >> reporter: it was a moment that would become infamous. >> and some people said it was one of the dumbest things they'd ever seen. >> the crocodile hunter apologized. >> i'm sincerely sorry i scared people. i'll make sure that never happens again, mate. >> but terri irwin said her husband was wounded. >> he was so hurt with the fallout of the media. he said more than anything he wanted to be a good dad and he loved his kids. >> and now his kids are the wildlife warriors. >> you try one.

>> whoa! >> i love all crocodiles, alligators. yeah, they're definitely my favorite. i love lizards and snakes, as well. >> isn't he beautiful? he's got his mouth open. >> big sister bindy says her favorite is the australian version of a porcupine. >> aren't they funny animals? >> six years after steve irwin's death from a sting ray barb while snorkeling, his australia zoo is thriving. there's even an animal hospital. the zoo is also home to terri and the children when they're not filming in australia or hollywood. bindi has her own tv show just like dad. >> they're very cute. we just love them. >> and here he is. >> my dad was honestly my hero.

i looked up to him. and i think it's extraordinarily important to make sure that his message continues. >> it needs to be quicker. >> i first met terri and steve back in 1997 chasing deadly and fierce snakes in the outback. >> oh, see that "s" position he's in now? >> feel like two chips off the old block? >> bindi is so much like steve in that she's very tough on the outside and soft on the inside and not many people knew that about steve. and robert you just look at him and go, yep, that's steve. >> what do you want to do when you grow up? >> i'd like to carry on in my dad's footsteps and keep the zoo going. >> and 14-year-old bindi agrees. >> if one man can make a difference, you can make a difference, we can all make a difference. >> reporter: for "today," sarah james, nbc news, australia. and coming up next, the

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course of her amazing six-decade career. she's also a best-selling author of children's books. she's written with her daughter their latest treasury with all seasons poems and songs to celebrate the year. julie andrews, great to see you. what a wonderful book. what a wonderful contribution. >> thank you. >> why has this collaboration worked so well? you write children's books. they're all best-sellers. something's going right. >> chemistry. i don't know, we were very unsure at first if we'd be compatible. and somehow we have very different strengths when we work together. and it's -- >> and we can speak shorthand. i think that helps too. >> and we both love tea. >> and working with mom is okay? it's not a struggle. >> no, it's wonderful, actually. believe it or not doing creative work together takes away the pressure from all the other nonsense that comes into mother/daughter relationships. >> i have three young kids and i are like to introduce poetry to them. you've got all these holidays,

emily dickinson, the nuts are getting brown, the berry's cheek is plumper, the rose is out of town. it's wonderful to introduce that. >> and we want children to love reading and poems is a marvelous introduction to that. they're short, musical in a way. >> you found poems for arbor day even. >> kwanzaa, we've tried to be diverse and broad. >> that's the next book. >> you wrote original poems about valentine's day, julie you write a heart seems far too small a thing to carry, all the love i bring to you. what about valentine's day made you want to write something original? >> well, my spouse, my lovely blake. and in the family, we always write special occasion poems. we have done for as long as i can remember. we've got quite a pile of them and i chose one day to do a valentine's for blake. >> what's special for you in the

book that stands out? >> you know, one of the great thrills is the beautiful painting. >> it just makes the book. >> they do. we hope, of course, that the poem will stand on their own and be these wonderful rich linguistic musical gifts, but the painting so catch the eye and we'll really enhance the experience for kids and families of all ages. >> what is the key to reaching children meaningfully in a book? and do your own kids offer good advice? >> they're good. they are very good critics. >> our best critics and source of ideas. >> sometimes they are, yeah. unless we stumble across an idea that we have to suddenly write because it is so compelling. >> i think the key is the same as it is writing with adults. it's compelling story and great characters. >> characters mostly, i think. characters make your story. >> in a collection like this, of course, it's moments, it's wonderful moments that capture the imagination and beautiful pictures to go with it.

>> and we hope that families, indeed, will just be able to go to the bookshelf at any time of the year and find an appropriate poem for whatever day they're celebrating. >> so much good stuff in here. thank you, both. >> see you. >> treasury for all seasons. 8:26 is your time now on this thursday, october 4th, 2012. good morning. it's been a rough morning on the roads. let's get the traffic with danella sealock. good morning. >> good morning. i'm seeing red on lots of our roadways, just completely jammed. slow from 32 southbound as you continue into the district. you are slow to the 11th street bridge. 50, you are slow there, too. delays start prior to the beltway. travel speed about 17 miles per hour as you make your way from the beltway to 295. back

good morning. there's storm team 4 radar showing a few lingering sprinkles across northern virginia, east and west virginia. moderate showers on the eastern shore. later today, sun breaking out.

highs near 80 and humidity moving in. a beautiful day tomorrow, low humidity, high near 80. an afternoon or evening shower. >> thank you.

8:30 now on this thursday morning. it's the fourth day of october, 2012. we're spending some time with some of our fabulous friends on the plaza at rockefeller center. starting their day with us. it's good to see all those white lab coats. it's appreciate your pharmacist month. did you know that? >> i've got to do that.

>> he's got a prescription right now. >> don't say that. >> good morning, everyone, i'm savannah gurthrie alongside david gregory in for matt. the professionals are here, and they have a very special not just guest but guests. the power duo of kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. one of the things the professionals are going to talk about this morning is the study that claims you could be dooming your marriage if you share the housework. what? >> yeah. a lot of people are saying that. >> you do? >> yeah. you know why? the ladies have a certain way they want things done. we guys may be a little different about it. >> i think the opposite can be true, as well. men can be in a certain way but it can be a source of tension. >> i feel like we're getting to know you a little better here, david. what else is coming up? >> well, if you want new ideas on how to feed your family, we're going to learn new orleans

style. which is great. we look forward to that. and we'll meet a mom who came up with a remarkable invention to help save babies' lives in underdeveloped countries being used in hospitals all around the world. jenna bush-hager is going to share her story. >> on wednesday, we're all talking about the election and everybody's reading the latest in the polls. here's an interesting poll. we told you about this eyebrow test. apparently in the last seven of the past eight presidential elections, the candidate with the best eyebrows went on to win the election. this is according to a company called the grooming lounge, pushing toward getting your eyebrows groomed. and so we did our own web poll with our anchors. >> and the results are in. >> are staggering. we took a look at matt, al, david, and lester's eyebrows. al came in at 8%. matt got 15%, david, 23%, but look who took it home in a big

way, mr. lester holt. >> lester holt. >> wow. >> well, the truth is, both of them have -- they have to fill them in on make-up. i feel like i'm a little bit of a fraud here because i had childhood accidents. >> oh. >> no worries. second grade, ran into the monkey bars and i think it was third grade it was dancing and and fell into something. >> well, i think i'm not sure -- maybe a little bias in the polling, maybe. >> i think people are disconcerted that your hair is white yet your eyebrows are brown. does that repeat in other places? what's going on? >> oh, come on. >> i was talking about chest hair. just wondering. >> lester, now that you've been voted best eyebrows on the "today" show, do you feel your life will change? >> if nominated i will not run, and if elected, i will not serve. >> sherman-esque. well, congratulations.

>> thank you. >> i was surprised to come back and read that. >> you come back and you get into the eyebrow competition. >> we're talking about it. it was a big topic of conversation. >> you did a great job. >> by the way, we've got some of our own female anchors' eyebrows to show you. >> oh, no! >> and we want to see who came in. look at that, savannah, natalie, kathie and hoda. we want you to go to today.com and vote, who has the best eyebrows of our female anchors. >> i think i vote for natalie too. >> and we'll get all personal with you. we'll get all personal. >> al, check on the weather? >> i don't know. let's all do this. let's show you what's going on now as far as your weather's concerned. for today, for tomorrow i should say, we are looking at sunshine along the east east

coast. wet weather in the great lakes into oklahoma. beautiful out west. saturday we have rain moving into the northeast. sunny and warm in the gulf coast. sunday, sunday, rain along the eastern sea board, rain. sunny and warm out west. that's what's going on around the country -- wow, jim corrigan, yeah. great eyebrows, bad chin. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning viewers in southern maryland had a beautiful double rainbow around dawn. this photo taken by nikki. thanks for sending that in. post your photos to www.nbcwashington.com. we have a few lingering sprinkles across northern virginia, maryland and east and west virginia. they will be ending over the next hour or so. the sun breaking out with highs near 80. low humidity moves in. lower humidity on friday and saturday. showers saturday evening.

>> it's a strong, manly chin. david? >> thanks, al. the new normal -- where am i? i'm trying to work here. the new normal when it comes to building a family. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:38. and this morning on the new normal, reshaping the american family. as we see on nbc's new comedy "the new normal," there are different options when it comes to having children. good morning, good to see you. >> good morning, savannah. one of those choices is surrogacy. couples are looking in unlikely places. >> look, daddy, a snow angel. >> reporter: explaining the miracle of life to their 4-year-old twins can be a little tricky.

>> what do you tell them about how they came into the world? >> we've always said that there's a lovely lady who carried you in her belly. because of her, you are with us. >> reporter: that lovely lady was a surrogate. after being together for seven years, the couple wanted a family and decided surrogacy was their best option. they found a woman in california who already had been a surrogate once before and had a family of her own. using a donor egg and contributions from both men, the surrogate quickly became pregnant with twins and involved nick and rick in every aspect of the experience. >> she was so proactive about sharing with us and how she was taking care of herself. that very often we were left with no questions to ask. >> reporter: like real life storks, surrogates are bringing babies to families all across the country. >> i'm great at being pregnant.

i have tons of energy and no morning sickness. >> reporter: in 2010, more than 1,400 babies were born to gestational surrogates, almost double the number from 2004. >> we've gotten so much better at in vitro fertilization technology. therefore this becomes more of a successful reality. >> reporter: it is increasingly becoming a family affair. this past august, 53-year-old cindy gave birth to her own granddaughter. she volunteered to carry the baby after her daughter emily was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a hysterectomy. >> the thought of emily and mike not being able to have children and sort of chair that piece of their lives with someone just broke my heart. >> the baby conceived through ivf using emily and her husband's genetic material made their dream of starting a family come true. >> the lack of sleep, which

is -- which we knew was coming, we couldn't be happier. >> reporter: even sisters are helping each other out. when tonya radcliffe learned she could conceive a baby but not carry one, her two sisters offered to help, each one willing to be impregnated with her and her husband's embryos. >> they went to such great lengths and knowing she couldn't transfer the embryos to carry a pregnancy was really heartbreaking to watch from the sidelines. >> it's such a short-term sacrifice for a long-term joy for her and i can't imagine it turning out any other way. >> reporter: surrogacy is heavily regulated from the fda. >> there is no normal. couples, women, individuals, gay, gay men have lots of option available to build families and costs, which thing. include medical and legal fees

can be well over six figures. but for these couples, expanding their family is priceless. >> if you have the desire to be a parent, whatever it takes to be a parent, do it. it'll bring you the greatest joy in your life. >> so why do women choose to be surrogates? well, of course, for some of them it's to give a gift to others, and a lot of them say they enjoy being pregnant. >> it's a win/win for everybody. thank you. coming up next, "today's" professionals are here, they're going to weigh in on the battle between nicki minaj and mariah going to weigh in on the battle between nicki minaj and mariah carey.e.

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"today" is brought to you by toyota. it is change everything you thought about a hybrid. back at 8:44. this morning on a special series

celebrating la vida latina. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush-hager has her story. >> good morning. when her own son zachary was born a premie, she developed a way for him to feel her love. now her invention is used in hundreds of hospitals worldwide. >> reporter: as a little girl growing, she dreamed of becoming an engineer. >> i always loved the technical field. i love math and my dad was an engineer. >> reporter: she came to the u.s. and got her ph.d. in industrial engineering. she also fell in love with a texan named larry. they married and five years later, yamile was pregnant. but their joy was cut short. >> i was pregnant, and i had e preeclampsia. i always say he was born to save

me because i was the one that was sick. >> reporter: zachary was born weighing less than 2 pounds. >> you were a first-time mom, a new mom, and you would spend all day with your son. >> yeah. >> but you were told at night you needed to go home. >> it's very unnatural for a mom to go home after giving birth without a child. doesn't get any easier. when you have a child and the house is supposed to be, you know, a mess and it is very quiet. >> reporter: then the unthinkable. tropical storm allison flooded houston and shut down the hospital where little zachary was in the nicu, his life support cut off. >> we had to keep him alive by hand for nine hours until he was evacuated. and i made a promise to help babies on his behalf. >> reporter: and she wouldn't forget her promise. but how she would help other premature babies started with the garden glove. >> one of the things i asked as soon as zachary was born was what are the things that are a common denominator for babies in

the nicu when they grow. >> she says they don't like to be touched. and i'm hispanic, we touch for everything. we say hello, good-bye, if you're happy, you're sad. i couldn't imagine giving zachary a life without enjoying human touch. >> the doctor from the cleveland clinic explains. >> they have ivs inserted, blood drawn by painful techniques and a lot of what we do causes pain. they have an aversion to touch later on. >> and she came up with her own solution. >> when i was in the nicu, the nurses taught me how to use my hand to comfort him. and so i was like, okay, i can do this, and i would hold him for the ten hours. i don't mind. but who's going to do that when i'm not there? >> how did you decide, okay, i'm going to leave a glove so my scent's with him. >> it was gardening season and i saw all the displays and i'm like, i wonder if i can use one

of those and simulate my hand. >> it was your engineering mind at work? >> yes. >> she left the glove covered in her scent with zachary overnight. >> the nurse called me and said you know those little gloves you made for zachary, can you make them for the rest of the unit? >> it took her 3 1/2 years pillows shaped like hands that simulate the shape, touch, and scent of a parent. they're used in more than 30 countries. and the little boy that inspired them is now 11 years old and thriving. >> he's in fifth grade, and he loves the drums, he loves playing golf with larry, he loves art, and he loves to see how things are made. >> so he's a little bit like his mother? >> i think so. >> you call him your cio. >> yes. >> is that right? >> yes, he's our chief inspirational officer. and he has business cards that say that.

everything i do is because of him. he gave me purpose of my life. and not just my personal life, but my professional life. so he's my inspiration. >> she has also donated zachies to hospitals worldwide, and if a family wants to donate, she will also match their donation. she's doing such great work. and as a premie myself, a large premie grown up, i think she's incredible. >> i did not know that about premies not wanting to be touch. >> in honor of hispanic heritage, you can find a whole list of hispanic innovators. first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:51 with "today's" kitchen, what's for dinner? and this morning, out with a new cooking channel series. he travels to find the best food in america. >> i was just working on the flowers. >> all right. >> that's our garnish. >> so you're canadian, but you travel around to sample american food. did you learn a lot? >> i learned so much. and i think that's the beauty of this show is i pick a street in

a city, not necessarily the street you would think, and, you know, eat my weight down the street, literally. from street food to high end to low end. anything that's interesting. you know, you get to learn a little bit more about your own backyard and that's the beauty of it. you don't have to go so far sometimes to discover something great, new, authentic and real. >> we're making something from new orleans today. the pull boy. >> i went to new orleans. >> can i point out? you've added some ink in honor of our cooking segment. you have a new cod tattoo. >> cod, there you go. >> ready to travel. >> there you go. so, you know, normally this is done with oysters in new orleans, but you can make it with pretty much anything. shrimp, whatever you have. he had really, really fresh cod, so why not? and that's the beauty of it. and that's the theme behind the show is, you know, i eat the street, but different cities in america will have their

different versions of their sandwiches or snacks and what not. so this is kind of one of those things where you can, you know, have this in new orleans, but really anywhere in the u.s. you'll have a version of it. >> cod is good too because it'll hold together a little better for the sandwich? >> you can use any white fish, halibut, cod, snapper, whatever. for my batter, flour, salt, cayenne. >> yep. >> drop that in there. >> little beer. >> little beer. why not? >> what does it add besides flavor? >> it obviously adds flavor, but it givens you that leavenning effect. is that good? >> yeah. >> once again, you know, it's all about consistency. and you want to -- you want to cook with your eyes, as well. if it looks like it's too thick, then you've got to fix it up. you add a little bit more beer, more water. >> you want to get all the lumps out? >> yeah, but you don't want to stir it too much because you don't want to -- you want to

keep those bubbles from the beer. so batter is good to go. >> put this guy in there. >> fish, season, salt and pepper. >> i'll do that. >> yeah? >> yeah. >> all right. get that in there. you can either serve this on baguette or a nice roll or a bun depending where you are. >> that's going to make it local if you use your own bread. >> can i throw it in there? >> yeah, throw it in there. >> in the oil. >> maybe not throw it right in there. >> yeah, careful. >> gently deposit it. beauty. >> nice. >> now with the bread. >> so there's trael no secret here, bread, butter, hey. >> pretty much a match made in heaven. you can go with baguette, any kind of local bun that you have that's fresh, that's good. >> hi, how are you? >> everybody's here. >> how long does this stay in? >> that'll stay in for about 2, 2 1/2 minutes until it's cooked nice, crispy, golden brown. >> now we're going to make a

tartar sauce. something different in here which is arugula. >> i'm a lost cause. the menu's all over here. mayonnaise, you don't have to put it all in, but i like it nice and chunky, you've got pickles diced up, capers, shallots and anchovy, and you know, i want it to be -- >> chunky. >> very, very chunky. i might have went overboard here with the arugula. >> let's be honest, i have a little problem. but it's still, you know what? that's the beauty of cooking and this is how it works. >> ten seconds, tell us about the -- >> well, if you live in new orleans, you've got to have pecans, baby. and this is my mom's famous maple syrup pecan pie that's

delicious, runny, gooey. >> thank you so much. now your local news. good morning, it's 586:. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's go to danella sealock for a check on the roads. danella? >> it's been a slow morning. check out the delays i-5i in maryland southbound. i'll show you what it looks like as you cross the icc. jammed bumper-to-bumper toward

the beltway. continuing on the beltway, very slow. aaron? >> thank you, we have a look at the weather, next.

good morning. a few lingering sprinkles over the next hour. then we'll get sunshine breaking up. the radar is showing the sprinkles in northern virginia and maryland. we'll have sun this afternoon. highs near 80. beautiful day tomorrow, low humidity and high around 80. over the weekend, might get a shower. maybe late saturday afternoon or early saturday evening. then a greater chance of cool rain off and on on sunday. a chilly start to next week as we dry out. >> thank you,

back now with more "today" on this thursday morning, it's the fourth day of october, 2012. it is downright balmy out here on the plaza this morning. a great day. and we say good morning to them as they wave to the folks back home. and good morning, again, everyone, i'm savannah gurthrie alongside al roker and david gregory. >> from today's troublemaker to today's professionals. >> and two of our favorites, hoda and kathie lee are going to join the panel today.

nicki minaj and mariah carey reportedly having a little tiff. we'll ask them what they think about that. >> it's kind of like kathie lee and hoda. then, we're going to tackle the ever raising cost of raising children. it can cost more than $230,000 to raise a child up to age 17 and that is not including college. that is staggering when you think about it. at least they're appreciative the whole time. not. we're going to have advice for parents. i'm sorry. >> you have lovely children. >> i do. >> why did you say that? >> they're cute. >> come on. there's therapy involved, that's going to add to the cost. >> there is school. coming up, we've got the eighth best beauty products according to "allure" magazine. a list of the breakthrough beauty award winners. >> david's going to get his shopping bag out. before we get to all that, we'll get to natalie morales at the news desk with more. >> good morning, savannah, david, and al.

good morning, everyone. the presidential candidates hit the campaign trail this morning. political commentators from both sides of the aisle are calling the first debate a win for republican mitt romney. as a seemingly lackluster president obama failed to take the reins. a hot topic of the debate, medicare, president obama says he based his health care law on romney's own plan for massachusetts. but romney stuck to his promise to repeal the law if elected. and despite being a prominent issue this week on the campaign trail, the candidates did not tackle the topic of immigration. turkey's deputy prime minister says a bill authorizing the use of force against syria is intended as a deterrent and not a declaration of war. that bill was approved by turkey's parliament this morning. turkish troops fired for the second day in retaliation for syrian mortar fire that killed five civilians in a turkish border town. health officials say a deadly meningitis outbreak may

be linked to steroid injections manufactured at a massachusetts pharmacy. the drug maker has recalled the steroid used to treat mostly back pain as investigators work to confirm the source of the infection. so far, more than two dozen people have been sickened across five states, four people have died, and experts say those numbers could grow. this type of meningitis is caused by a fungus and it is not as contagious as theore common forms. for more information, head to our website, today.com. a new jersey teen who disappeared after falsely tweeting there was an intruder in her home has been found safe. police have been searching for her since her tweet on sunday. security footage taken minutes later showed her alone with a backpack at a train station. disco queen donna summer who died in may is among the nominees for the rock 'n' roll hall of fame's class of 2013. classic rock mainstay deep purple is on the list. including joan jett and the

blackhearts, nwa, and public enemy. well, this love bird on the loose had drivers furious in florida. check it out as this emu just shuts down the highway strutting his stuff, apparently looking for a mate. the amorous bird had escaped his owner to explore a wider dating field. his owner showed up and nabbed him by putting a towel over his head. and viral video and now parenting aid says it could take an hour to feed his baby boy benjamin his veggies and tried just about everything to feed this fussy little guy, but that was until they tried feeding benjamin gangnam style. ♪ >> one more time. keep rolling. just one more time.

benjamin. >> needs some more gangna style there. nothing like a spooul of youtube to help the veggies go down. and nutritious, too, i imagine. let's go back outside to al for a check of your weather. >> wow, the kid gets to school and he has to have lunch, that's not going to happen. that's going to be rough. a real cutie here. what's your name? >> samantha. >> samantha, do you know what? you've got cacti on your head. did you know that? okay, good, i wanted to make sure. very much. thank you very much, samantha. let's see what we've got for you as far as your weather is concerned. we are looking at the wet weather up and down the east coast. high humidity. to the west, in minneapolis, we are talking, i should say northern minnesota, we are talking anywhere from three to eight inches of snow. we have winter storm warnings up there. showers, thunderstorms, hit or miss fog in the northeast.

out west, gorgeous. red flag warnings for the pacific northwest because it's dry and windy. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. a few lingering sprinkles. the system is moving off to the north and east. behind that, dry air moving in by later this afternoon. we'll have sunshine breaking out by mid to late afternoon. 80 degrees by then. low humidity in place tonight, tomorrow and much of saturday. beautiful weather on friday. cool start. afternoon highs near 80. might get showers late saturday afternoon and evening. a greater chance of rain and i stand corrected. they're cacti. savannah? >> that's exactly right, al. you got that. well, time now for "today's" professionals. in today for dr. nancy, two fabulous ladies, kathie lee gifford, hoda kotb. >> you're so kind.

>> our first topic, rude america online. the "wall street journal" made the case that basically people are ruder online, on facebook, on twitter than they are in person. i mean, having read my fair of facebook comments, can there be any doubt that people are ruder online, kathie lee, what do you think? >> i think it's a natural extension of what's happened in our culture in general, which is an entitlement attitude of i -- i am allowed my feelings, i have the right to my feelings, i have the right to express my feelings and i really don't care if my feelings hurt anybody else because it's my right to have them. >> do you think people would act the way they act online anonymously in person if the person was right across from them? >> if i was saying something to kathie lee and i said, listen, you did something terrible and you immediately said i'm sorry i didn't mean that, i would change course, okay. i wouldn't continue spewing like you do online. you can write a whole tirade because you don't have any idea

how the other person's reacting. >> i think it's changed sort of with the reality television. reality television has given people permission to be rude in person and then -- >> and get paid for it. >> yes, exactly. and then social media has added on to it because you can say things behind a computer that you would not normally say and it gives you a false sense of famili familiarity. >> it's the same thing with sexting. >> how did we get to sexting? >> no, listen. young people are doing things, typing sexual things they wouldn't in person. so every emotion is magnified and not done in a realistic way when you're doing it virtually. and that's a big concern. >> is it bringing out what a person actually is? >> no, i think it's allowing people to do something they -- >> i can imagine -- >> no, a friend's son would text and he sent the text to a girl, and he was a virgin and he was talking like he was this big

stud. and it's like, it's the same thing, somebody who may not be rude in person feels they have the ability to do it. it's a problem with virtual stuff, period. >> just phony kind people, then. because a kind person wouldn't do it to your face -- >> but rude is the new black. >> rude is the new black. >> and another good segue, okay. because talking about rude, there was a big diva fight on "american idol," rumors of it, between mariah carey and nicki minaj. >> no rumor, i saw the video. >> does anybody think this is hype for the show, a publicity stunt? >> i do. >> duh. >> first of all, there was a video shot too before they even started they talked about trying to out diva one another. >> how much money would they have to pay you to get on national television and say some of these vulgar things. these women, you're women, you don't get on television and you don't curse people out. there's a certain level of

decorum that's gone away. >> but here to me is the exciting news for me. what it shows is these shows like "american idol," it's over. they can't sell the concept. they can't sell the concept -- >> don't grab my arm like that, it's kind of rude. >> they can't -- no, no, the shows used to be about the next new star. that's so tired now, the only way they can sell the show is the feuding between the hosts. that tells me the genre is coming to an end. >> that may be true, but having had experience with both of those ladies behind the scenes other places, that's why it seems real to me. >> that's interesting. okay. powerful ceo mom, 37-year-old yahoo ceo had her baby boy. >> congratulations. >> congratulations to her. she made headlines, actually when it first came out that she was pregnant that she was going to take a maternity leave of one or two weeks and appears to be standing by that. a lot of people look at that and say, all right, is that sending the wrong message? i ask you that, but i also ask you, is it fair to make her the

messenger? >> the whole reason for the feminist revolution was so that you as a woman would be empowered to be the woman that you are. this is the woman she is. and it's absolutely fine for her to take one week, two weeks. >> you know what? >> it's fine to take nine. >> if you work for her and you know your boss took two weeks on her maternity leave, i think you might think about your own a little. even though you're entitled to what you're entitled to, she may be setting a precedent she doesn't mean to be. >> i've had a lot of senior powerful women that work at the agency and they couldn't wait to get back to work. but unfortunately, or importantly when a boss sets a tone, and she's not doing it for that reason, a subordinate -- it sounds like the kind of woman that's not going to happen. but that's an interesting point. >> i'm sure there's a policy already in place at yahoo. >> yeah, legally women get three months. >> i got three months each baby, but i took five weeks.

>> it was up to you. >> i think some women worry if she sets the example of you can be e-mailing your boss from the c-section delivery place. >> not requiring them to. >> just by being a boss sometimes. >> i took maternity leave and i took a lot of heat for it. >> men and women bosses are going to have to set the example, you know, regardless, and i don't think this woman should be made to feel bad about her choice. >> real quick, other note on that. >> samantha, is she a good mother? >> of course. >> that's what it comes down to. you're not a bad mother if you take three weeks, you're not a good mother if you take six. you're a good mother in the way you treat your child. >> one more for you, right? a norwegian study. >> another one? >> these norwegian studies are killing me. it says that couples who share housework divorce more. >> yes. >> repeat, ladies if you share the chores with your husband, your marriage -- >> i think the more defined roles are, let the husband clean, i think the healthier the

relationship. once the roles are very blurred, i think that's cause for, come on, go at it. >> hoda and i did this about four days ago. >> aren't you cool? i'm sorry we're not in the cool club. >> you've already discussed this? >> oh, imagine that. >> tell us what you'd do. >> it's not a high horse, it's a same-size stool as yours. >> go ahead. >> what? >> i'm not trying to do housework, either way. to be honest with you, i like to do it my way and i'd rather he do his thing. >> what was discussed was if you're sharing these different things and a man is trying to help a woman's trying to help and they do it in a way you don't like, it's more work for you to go back and do it again. but that is certainly not grounds for divorce. >> right. >> clarity of roles. >> i don't understand why we have to do norwegian studies or housework. >> right.

amen. preach on. star jones, donny deutch, kathie lee and hoda. coming up next, the breakthrough beauty products of the year right after these messages. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry

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[ annoyed ] i'm pure milk chocolate on the inside. and i love that about you. and here i thought you loved me for my brain. is that made of chocolate too?!!! ♪ ♪ this morning on "today's beauty," the breakthrough products of the year. "allure" magazine goes through hundreds of products every year and awards the prestigious allure beauty seal. linda wells is the editor in chief. good morning. >> good morning. >> always love this. now, for you guys, this is truly the prize. >> right. this is the prize. >> it's a lot of work. >> it's a ton of work.

we test 2,500 products. and then for these, these are the breakthrough awards, these are based fully on science, innovation, products that have done something that no other product has done before. and we actually work it out with te dermatologists and chemists. we make sure these are legit. >> they've been scientifically tested and approved. >> completely. >> let's take a look at, starting first with the real weightless foundation from georgio armani, apparently five different oils instead of water or powder. >> and you know how foundation can feel thick and heavy, this one uses all the different oils which you think would be greasy, but they're really light oils, they evaporate on the skin, so you get the pure pigment. it's maestro foundation. >> amazing. >> those who suffer from r rosasia, there is no medical cure for this, but you did find this cream can be helpful.

>> there's no cream over the counter for this. and what happens is there's too many blood cells underneath the surface of the skin and too reactive. so this aven cream, it's french. >> anti-redness. >> right. >> for chronic redness. it has a protein that reduces the blood cells under the skin and constricts the blood cells. you use it every night for 12 weeks, you have a reduction of 50%. >> calms that redness. okay. and over here to the wrinkle creams. and, you know, you see all the science and the claims on the back here. what makes this stand out? >> this is roc retinol correction resurfacer. and it's the best anti-ager. but they combine it this time with ingredients that cause bioelectricity within the cells that cause the cells to resurface more quickly and to react as if it's been wounded. so it gives the results of three peels you'd get at the

dermatologist office, but it's in this tube, it's great. >> and over-the-counter, which is great and good price point. over here, the perfect lipstick, and you base it on three things, color, shine, and staying power. >> this is the glossy stain. and what we know is you use a lip gloss and it disappears by breakfast. and if you use a lip stain, your lips feel dry and uncomfortable. this combines the best of both. it actually goes on the lips, the water in the product evaporates and then the stain sticks to the lips and silicone droplets rise to the top magically and it gives you this glossiness. so it's really incredible scientific -- >> a experiment going on on your lips, who knew? >> over here, the big thing now are gel nails, and known for their strips, of course. but now they have the strip gels. >> right. >> how do these work? >> you use a strip, you apply the gel topcoat, put it under this cool l.e.d. light, 30 seconds, the hardened gel m

manicure. >> mascara, your editor gave up mascara because they clumped. she found her match. >> everyone wants thickening mascara, this is cover girl, they figured out at cover girl the clump is a certain size and they arranged the brushes so they could never form. >> this is a product that will help you with thinning hair. >> i'm obsessed with this, i use it all the time. it's called pantine age-defier thickener. >> finally a flat iron that apparently actually helps improve the condition of your hair rather than destroy it because a lot of flat irons do. >> this is super high-tech. it actually straightens your hair at a lower temperature and it measures how much moisture's in your hair and the air calibrates itself. you put this on first, flat iron and it straightens it at a very

low temperature. >> and they claim 300% improvement. so that's amazing. >> not bad. >> thank you so much. great breakthrough products. coming up, the cost of raising a child, financial planning advice for parents right after this. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars,

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coming up, al's book club for kids. plus, in "today's" kitchen celebrating classic recipes from all over the world. [ male announcer ] 20,000 btus produce a delicate sear. double-oven range makes dinner and dessert -- at the same time. turbo-charged advantium oven cooks more than twice as fast, in this culinary powerhouse. dan. yes? molé sauce. [ male announcer ] with ge's most advanced cooking technology, the café line takes food further. ♪ mom, pop it. ♪ two inches apart, becky. two inches. t-minus nine minutes. [ ding ] [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls. let the making begin. ♪ [ female announcer ] one drop of ultra dawn has twice the everyday grease cleaning ingredients of one drop of the leading non-concentrated brand...

to clean 2x more greasy dishes. dawn does more. so it's not a chore. good morning. it's 9:26 on this thursday, october 4th. i'm aaron gilchrist. the roads are a mess. >> that's an understatement. the lane narrowed forcing the left lane to merge to the right. just about 24 miles per hour. it's sluggish the entire way. let's head over to i-66 jammed from

cloudy, mild and humid. we are in the low 70s now. much of the spin >> caller: activity ending in virginia. we have some in maryland. later this afternoon, sun

breaking out, highs near 80. low humidity in place. tomorrow, a beautiful day on friday. ghs near 80. a shower saturday afternoon. rain likely on sunday. back to you. >> than

♪ ♪ the monster mash >> americans spent $370 million dressing up their pets last halloween. we asked for some of your photos, and you sent them in. boy did you ever. you're making us laugh out loud this morning. these are just a few of them. tomorrow, we're going to get in the halloween spirit. al's dog and mine will be here as part of a costume parade. we'll see how they handle it. >> the gauntlet has been laid down, guys. >> cute. >> it's a surprise. >> a surprise to them too. >> i take it you're not showing

their costumes this afternoon. >> no. i'm not crafty that way, but i give props to those who are. coming up, the real cost of raising a family today, beyond raising pets too. it comes to over $235,000, that is stressing out a lot of parents and that's not including college. we're going to get a reality check and hopefully some coping strategies, as well. >> and we've also got another meeting of al's book club for kids. our eager young readers get set to meet the author of "vanished" and quiz her about the book. >> it's a little scary, right? >> a good book. not too scary. plus, classic recipes from around the world, including top desserts. >> wow. >> oh, yeah. >> put some fire on that thing. >> blow torch, we like that. >> burn the dessert, it's a good thing. and in case you missed it, did you see last night on the "tonight show"? jay leno poked some fun at our own al roker. >> maybe it's me, but al roker

getting a little testy there with elmo. did you see him? because al is always so nice to everybody. well, here, take a look. >> elmo, you ready to make some crumbs? >> we don't know yet. >> we do know. >> that didn't really happen. that did not really happen. >> okay. >> that's right, elmo's fine. no elmos were hurt in the making of that tape. >> why do they do that? >> i don't know. >> you're like a recurring cast member. >> the first lady -- >> now you're punching others. can we try it? >> no. let's show you what we've got for your weather as we head into the weekend. the long holiday weekend. tomorrow, sunny skies along the skies. wet weather in upper ohio and mid mississippi river valley.

snow showers continue in northern minnesota and the northern plains. saturday, wet weather from new england back to the upper ohio river valley. the eastern and western third of the country looking good with snow. sunday, sunday, rain along the mid-atlantic coast. mild weather and plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest. a lot of heat in southern california into texas. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein. around the region, we have a few lingering sprinkles in virginia and light rain moving in maryland off to the north and east. it's going to taper off and end throughout much of the region in an hour or so. by this afternoon, sun breaking out and highs reaching upper 70s to near 80. it's around 70. cooler weather. beautiful day tomorrow. a shower saturday afternoon or evening. cool rain >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right.

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[ slurp! ] [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. here's a little something you'll find irresistible. cinnamon toast crunch, with a delicious cinnamon and sugar taste that's amazing. crave those crazy squares.™ ♪ this morning on "today's money," the skyrocketing cost of raising a family. the u.s. department of agriculture estimates it can cost an average of $235,000 to raise a child born in 2011 up to age 17. it's no wonder a study from

babycenter.com found that four out of five families are stressed out about money. and carmen wong-ulrich is here to help us out. good morning. >> good morning. >> that $235,000 that's up 10% from the year before. >> it's a lot. >> i imagine that number's going to continue to grow. and nowadays, a lot of family are dual income if they're lucky, but a lot of single-income families -- >> it's almost more precarious to be dual income and base your budget on both of those incomes. for the whole life of your family, somebody's income is going to go away or get cut back or you're going to have another child. so you want to make sure to form your budget on less than that 100% of your dual income that way you have flexibility. and i know some families that have taken one income and used that solely to save, emergency fund, retirement and college and that way you have a safety net should someone get laid off or income go down. >> and you say a lot of people

have separate credit card accounts, savings accounts. is that something to be thinking about doing? >> this is different. the baby center moms say they're more likely to have a separate credit card where the dads are more likely to have a separate savings account. that is really revealing and a little bit dangerous. moms are focused on the budget and spending and dads are focused on saving and growing. so we can learn from each other there. and i think more moms need to pay attention to planning long-term planning, saving and growing, not just the budget day-to-day. >> and that's where there is a lot of conflict as you said on babycenter.com, four out of five couples disagree on the spending rules of the family. how do you get them to come together? >> very much so. and they found here that when moms splurge, where do you splurge? moms almost 80% of moms say they're more likely to splurge on their kids, whereas maybe this isn't so surprising, dads, over half of dads are more likely to splurge on themselves. here's the thing, if you

communicate about the budget and you really make it about the numbers, it doesn't have to be a battle over soccer cleats and spending on that, it's got to be about these numbers. what are your goals as a family? and also make note of patterns. if you see patterns of where are your arguing? what is about it? how much is it? then get to the root of the problem. >> and getting to the root of the problem is what you have to do next. where are you finding that a lot of couples break down when it comes down to that? >> because it's not really about the money. about some other goal, may be about control. but again, if you become the family cfo, the accountant, i say the cfo, if you're really in charge of the household budget, set a time aside once a month to go down and break it down and show your spouse if you're arguing with them, this is where the money's going, this is the goal we need to set, whether it's paying down debt, saving for college, do we share those goals? and if we cut here and here and here, this is where the money should go instead. got to communicate. >> and most people, i think, view this as investing in your

child's future, but that raises the other concern, should you be worried about your children's future or your own future first? >> virtually all of the moms we surveyed at baby center believe the money they spend on their children, not towards education, but in general is an investment in their children. but this is something i hear from moms all the time, which scares me. they say, oh, that's okay, i'll tap home equity to pay for college, it's okay, i'll cut down how much i'm putting away for retirement. i've been saying this for years, like you're on an airplane and they say put your oxygen mask on yourself first and then your chi. if you don't take care of yourself, you end up being a burden on your kids. the best gift to give them is maintain and secure your retirement and savings, and then you can take care of them. >> good suggestions, start using coupons, eating out less. >> hand-me-downs, and finding free activities and events now online and message boards. so many different ways to find free things to do as a family. and half of the moms said they actually enjoy that. they enjoy all this coupon clipping and stuff. it's money that can be put to

something else. >> it's the art of the deal. getting out there. >> yeah. >> thanks so much. >> thank you. coming up next, al's book club for kids chats about "vanished." [ female announcer ] dove go sleeveless presents the latest thing to wear with beautiful tops. beautiful underarms. wear with toga tops, yoga tops, and va va voom tops! dove go sleeveless makes underarms soft and smooth in just five days. effective protection. beautiful result.

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♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ your mouth has giggled, snuggled, bubbled ...and yellowed. because if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest whitestrips remove over ten years of stains and whiten 25 times better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest 3d white whitestrips. this morning on al's book club for kids, "vanished." 11-year-old mila dreams of

becoming a musician. when her instrument disappears, she discovers the true story and long history of vanishing without a trace. and we want to welcome back our al's book club kids, jack, samara, and cindy. good to see you guys. and joining us from skype, our special guest lexi, skyping in from michigan. >> how are you? >> good. >> we're looking forward to your question. hold on a sec, we're going to talk to sheila. this is really kind of interesting. this is the actual instrument. >> that's right. this is something played in southern india? >> yes, this comes -- this is from southern india. and it's played in south indian classical music. >> what does it sound like? >> well, i'm going to play it a little bit later. it's not like anything that we hear here. it's something similar to a harp. >> it's very cool. >> yeah. >> a central character in the

book. let's find out what our guys thought. jack, what's your question for sheila. >> good morning. the central plot of your story is about a vanishing musical instrument, did you play a musical instrument growing up? >> it's a very good question, i wasn't a veena player, i was a violinist and i didn't know anything about it. but my niece plays it and the book was written for her. she inspired the main character. but this i got from india last year and it's now mine. it used to belong to my husband's family. >> can we hear a little bit of it? >> absolutely. i'm going to play just the opening line to a song i'm working on with my teacher. ♪

>> wow. that sounds great. >> thank you. >> how long have you been working on it? >> four months. >> you're doing great. all right. let's check in now, what's your question? >> your book is based on your niece who also shares the same main character as your main character. besides the name and playing the veena, what else do they have in common? >> well, i'd like to say nothing and everything. when i first started writing the book, she was my audience, you know. i was writing it for her. and then when it was time to send it out into the world and i was working with my editor, i needed to make her fictional. so i had to give her qualities she didn't have. she's scared of playing in front of people, that's me. so there's a little bit of me and a little bit of her. >> all right. and then finally, let's go to samara. what's your question?

>> i'm sidney. >> i'm sorry. i'm so taken with the instrument. >> one of the themes in your book is that it's cursed, no one can seem to hold on to it. is this based on an urban legend you heard growing up? >> no, it was my own particular fiction. i just thought it was interesting to find different ways to explain it was gone. with was it a person or something super natural? >> let's go to lexi. what's your question? >> one of the things i enjoyed most about your book was learning about indian culture. when you wrote the book, was one of your goals to teach young readers about indian culture? if so, why? >> that's a very good question, lexi. i know when i was growing up, i loved to read adventure stories and i loved to read about girl characters who were solving mysteries, but i never saw anybody that was like me, and so i felt like this was a chance to have an indian-american girl be a detective. so, yeah, that was one of the things i hoped to do.

>> very important to do too. >> absolutely. >> thank you so much. let's find out how the kids rated the book on a scale of one to five stars, "vanished" gets four stars. very good. sheila, kids, lexi, thank you so much. we appreciate it. if you're between the ages of 9 and 12 and would like to be the next guest kid, head to today.com. and the next book, it's a tale dark and grim. yeah, it's celebrating a great story, and we're going to do that coming up with our next al's book club for kids. meanwhile, celebrating classic recipes, including crepes, but first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" kitchen, back to basics, the editors have compiled their most classic recipes. a judge at bravo's top chef

masters. good morning, james. >> good morning. >> congratulations, 150 issues. >> yes. >> quite an accomplishment. how do you decide what the classics are after so many issues? >> you know, a real classic just absolutely stands the test of time. it's a perfect dish that doesn't need any tricking out. it's just a fantastic food. >> very good. >> and crepes, just one of the best classics in the world. >> what's in the flour mix? >> it's a very easy batter, a bunch of eggs and a little bit of flour, cream, and milk. and in a teflon pan, the making of crepes is as easy as pancakes. >> very thin pancakes. >> very, very thin pancakes. >> nice and runny. >> after about two minutes or so when a crepe is a bit dry on top no longer bubbly, you simply flip it and no crazy cheffy pyrotechnics needed. >> the key is a really nicely buttered teflon pan too, right? >> exactly. >> what are you going to make as

a sauce? >> the real key is this gorgeous sauce which is butter and lemon. >> lots of butter. >> and orange zest and a few licquors, and you let that bubble around a bit. and what you're going to be doing -- doesn't it smell delicious? then what you're going to be doing is basically taking each crepe and one-by-one in your final serving pan -- >> yeah. >> dipping them into the batter, folding them into halves and then into quarters and you're fanning them around the pan like so. >> that looks beautiful. >> sprinkling a bit of sugar on top. and then lastly, more alcohol. >> we're liking this recipe a lot. >> no problems there. >> and lastly -- >> oh, you torch it. stand back. >> stand back, but it's not

insane, it's not an insane explosion. in fact, all you're really going to get is sort of a low -- >> like a low flame, you can barely see it on the top. >> what that's doing, it's softening the taste of the alcohol and also -- >> this is served up, right? >> please, have a taste. >> we will, we will. >> and tell us about some of the classic foods you've brought us up front as i try this. that's amazing, al. >> hi, how are you? it's basically mashed potatoes heavily spiced inside this fried dumpling. it's delicious cilantro -- green beans from china. >> i made that. it's so good. and this pasta? >> sauteed vegetables and a little cream, delicious. >> sauteed vegetables and a little cream, delicious. >> and the sweete.

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good morning. it's 9:57 on this thursday, october 4th, 2012. it's been a messy morning on the roads. let's check in with danella sealock and the traffic. good morning. >> it's bad around the beltway. the inner loop, you can see the arrow forcing you to get over. you are slow to the dulles toll road. montgomery county is slow from

i-95 to 270. 30 miles per hour taking 18 minutes to make the drive. let's head to tom for the forecast. >> it's cloudy and humid. the sprinkle activity is ending except on the eastern shore. as we get into the rest of the day, we ought to get sunshine breaking out this afternoon. highs upper 70s to around 80 and less humid. a beautiful day tomorrow and a shower saturday afternoon and evening. cool rain on sunday, drying out after that. >> thank you. coming up on news 4 midday, the talk of the town, now we put him talk of the town, now we put him to the real test

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody, it's thirsty thursday, october 4. so glad you're with us today. it's still dreary around here in new york, but tomorrow supposed to shall 81 degrees and sunny. >> it will be a summer day. >> makes my egyptian sun goddess happy. >> you know what else makes me happy? >> kenneth krause. >> there was a news anchor in

wisconsin who admittedly says she is overweight. this guy wrote in and criticized her and said she was not a good role model, jennifer livingston -- >> mother of three little girls. >> here is kenneth krause. he is a personal injury lawyer and a frequent visitor to the gym. >> and now hoda says, one look, all's forgiven. >> i did not. no! >> you are shallow beyond measure. >> by the way, this is what's weird about this guy. after he had the opportunity to unring the bell. >> he had a chance to say he's sorry. >> he went back in and followed up with if you need help or counseling, i'll do it. it sounded patronizing in the e-mail tone. >> it did. >> there were people outraged. >> yes. >> when they found out about kenneth krause. someone posted on a friend's

facebook page, i hope kenneth's wife -- i guesses's married -- michelle, doesn't pack on a few pounds. who knows what he would do to her. >> i think this. i think she invited him on the air with her and he declined. >> yes. >> she did it in -- it's anti-bullying month. most bullies, when faced, will back off. basically bullies are cowards. they don't expect anyone to stand up to them. they run often. donny deutsch feels she was the bully using her position on the air. i thought she was using it as a teachable moment for people. >> i do, too. >> hopefully kenneth krause learns something from it. there are two kinds of ignorance i discovered, hodi. there's real ignorance which we all have on occasion, which we didn't know something. there is nothing wrong if you didn't know something yet. there is another ignorance when you find outed truth, but it

doesn't fit your agenda so you continue in your ignorance because i don't want to know the truth. >> right. >> it makes sense. >> it's inconvenient. >> it so turns me off. you don't have to tell an overweight person they are overweight. you don't have to tell them they struggle every day. they wake up every morning, they know it's something they are facing. so when some guy who looks like that writes and e-mail and is a tsk, tsk tone to it, it's annoying. if you want to help someone, that's not the way. you don't say you're not a good role model. you don't know anything about her. nothing, zero. >> she is a mother to three children. ask those little girls if she is a good role model. >> yeah. so there, kenneth. >> we don't want to beat up on him forever, just today. >> and maybe tomorrow. good news for facebook. they got a billion users. i guess today. i wonder who the billionth one

is. >> they should get a carnival cruise. free tickets to "scandalous." >> they say one in seven of the people on the whole planet, one in seven, they are part of the facebook community. >> i ain't that one. i guess i am part of that community because our show, through our work. i just think we talked about it a few months ago. we are becoming what is now called a post modern society, which means, and this should scare us all, that for the first time in all of history, we are more comfortable with technology than we are with fellow human beings. how is that going to work? it's working its way? all the bullying we are seeing. all the sexting we are seeing. we have this anonymity behind a computer screen. >> the question you asked, does that make you more yourself, do you become who you are or do you just become this other person you think nobody can see me, i'm going to say mean things.

i'm going to sext where i wouldn't normally do. >> i don't think a kind person would do mean things. justify that for me. >> facebook has one billion users. >> we only want half a million. we only need a few more. we have 469,727. >> all you have to do is like us. we hate shilling and being desperate. >> no, we don't. >> go to our facebook page. search kathie lee and hoda and click on "like." >> even if you don't, it would be kind. it's anti-bullying. >> we don't care if you like us or not. not really. >> i'll never find out because i won't read this stuff. you know. you find out what they say. did you know bald men are more masculine but are considered less attractive? >> i don't think they are less attractive. >> i haven't seen too many menu don't like, hoda. i think you're generous about the menu like. >> here's the thing.

when you walk up to someone and there is a palpable chemistry, you don't know what -- you have the opposite when you dislike someone. you know something isn't clicking. sometimes it doesn't matter if they are bald or hefty. or whatever. it's like you feel it right when you meet them. it's in the eyes. >> the problem with that is you feel it with a lot of people. >> no, i don't. no, i don't. i feel it with certain people. >> bruce willis. >> these are the sexy bald guys, yes. you do, too. >> no. >> you don't? >> no. i like him. >> howie mandel. >> i liked him with hair better. >> this is yours, get ready? >> i think patrick stewart is a sexy man. he looks like my friend stanley moore who is 87 and looks exactly the same did he when i met him when he was 60. here is our sexiest. we love him together. ed harris.

>> he is a sexy guy. taye diggs is a hotty. this guy takes the cake. our favorite. matt lauer. >> then there is al roker. very cute. then big willie. >> we wondered what he would be like without hair. >> big bald willie. >> oh, oh, let's never do that again. >> let's hoping he's not carrying that genetic tendency. >> that's not great. all right. we started this thing where we are giving a nice guy of the week award. >> who knew we would find two in one week. there is hope for our planet. >> tyler perry. >> when he heard a georgia woman ivan had been stolen from her driveway, he bought her a new one because her name is alicia day. she has cerebral palsy. she had a special equipped van. she goes to her job as a greeter

at home depot. her story aired at a local tv station. when she got the news she said my mouth just dropped. you know what? this is a man who's got all kinds of means. he's a very successful guy. came from lots of sadness and disparities. he uses everything he has now to make people happy. i love him. >> are you addicted to the internet? >> no. >> they are talking about classifying it as a real mental illness. >> i told you that, hoda. >> have you lost your phone and thought you lost your mind? that happened to me in tennessee. >> i know. >> i was panicking. here is what bothered me the most. we were in the van going to the airport. i want to talk because i didn't have a fen. of had their heads down. you, too. you were texting on your phone. >> my daughter called me from california. >> exactly. everybody was preoccupied and i wanted to talk. there i was a loner. >> loser.

>> she found it. you have to ask yourself these questions. >> how often do you find yourself staying online longer than intended. how often do you deflect household chores to be online? >> you answered these questions. >> the answer is question. >> how often do you prefer the excitement of the internet to intimacy with your partner? >> that's weird. what excitement is on the internet really? >> porn. >> okay. >> i hear. >> good point. i didn't think of it. how often do you form new relationships with fellow online users? never. no, i don't. some people do. >> how often do you find yourself anticipating when you can go online again. >> that's like crack. you're i going to like this song. don't look. this is an old song. it's a john denver song. >> i'm i going to probably like it. >> you already saw it. >> i just saw it. >> this is sung not by john

denver but by carly ray jefferson. >> the "call me maybe" girl. >> such a feel-good song. ♪ sunshine on my shoulders ♪ makes me happy ♪ sunshine in my eyes ♪ can make me cry >> is this on her new cd? >> i heard it randomly and thought who is singing "sunshine on my shoulders" so beautifully. she is not a one-hit wonder. >> this is a cover of an old song. >> she's good. >> she is talented, yeah, yeah. it will be unbelievable if she comes up with something as catchy as the other. >> she won't. >> she might. >> no. it's over. >> is it okay or not okay to tweet for your pet? >> you say? >> it's okay, but let's be honest, it's kind of weird.

>> i think it's weird when you're tweeting for your animal. >> who's got the time to do this stuff? >> what did i say? >> you said, yes, it's okay. finally you can tweet naked pictures and no one will care. >> did you know it's breast cancer awareness month? >> yes. i'm going to give a speech in connecticut today. >> richards in greenwich avenue. what time? >> i think 12:30. i'm going to leave here immediately and bolt up there. >> i wish i could see it. we are in tech in our show and very, very busy. carolinaa herrera created this limited edition t-shirt. >> it's $35 and 100% of the proceeds, not half but all go to the entertainment industry foundation women's cancer research fund. >> good, good, good. >> we loved him as lou grant and the voice behind the old man in "up" we catch up with ed asner. >> and the big reveal after these two lucky ladies get an

ambush makeover. >> it's "everybody has a story day." we have an amazing story of infertility that turns out with a happy ending. four happy endings. [ cellphone rings ] [ female announcer ] with secret outlast,

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seven-time emmy-winning actor -- sorry. ed asner has had a long and prolific career, but he's best known as lou grant the gruff but soft-hearted boss who likes to say it like it is to mary in the 1970 sitcom "the mary tyler moore show." >> what religion are you? >> mr. grant, i don't know how to say this, but you're not allowed to ask that when someone is applying for a job. it's against the law. >> want to call a cop? >> now ed asner returned to broadway in a play called "grace" playing a plan struggling with regret but never

hat a loss for words. >> are you a jesus freak? >> well, we are not jesus freaks. >> we are both committed christians. >> oh, i've got some news for you. >> all right. >> one, there is no jesus. >> really? >> two. there's no god. >> interesting. >> three. mind your own business and everything works out. >> it officially opens tonight, right? are you having a good time over there with paul rudd and the gang? >> it's a wonderful creative process. i'm with three great actors, having been directed by a great director, written by a great playwright. >> so you're a pig in mud. >> you know the feeling? >> yes, i do. i'm just right up the street. we are at the neil simon, but we are here to talk about you right now. >> you are an exterminator. >> i'm german. >> explain your character.

>> it's the little guys. >> tell bus your character a little bit. >> well, he has raised in a family that wanted to help jus during the war. or even before the war. he goes through a great deal. his father was a very religious man, believed intensely in god. both his parents get killed during the war and he's been made to commit an unspeakable act by the nazis. so he denies god as we find initially in the play. a series of events unfolds. i won't say he finds god, but he finds something. >> maybe a little redemption along the way, huh? >> he gets the redemption. >> don't you think all great art has redemption at its core? look at dickens, all the great

writers, tolstoy? in the end there is some sort of redemption or you feel unsatisfied with the book. >> "les miserables." >> are you enjoying your time on the stage? most people know you probably from tv. >> what i find fascinating about the sage, and they always said this repeatedly, it's different every night. the one joke falls flat, next night it's wonderful. >> have you had a screw-up? >> no meltdowns, brain farts. >> they can turn into meltdowns. you know what he said when he saw hoda, he came over for a big

hug and said -- what did you say? too big to fail. >> she interviewed me then. >> she is a long drink of water. >> mary tyler moore was here about a week ago. >> how is she? >> do you keep in touch? >> we don't. >> is that on purpose or would you like to run into her on occasion? >> i would like to run into her. where is the van? >> you saw betty white recently. >> i did her show. that's kind of a command appearance. >> you really didn't like anybody you worked with? >> tell mary to get me on her show. >> "grace" officially opens tonight. >> at the court theater on broadway. >> sara has one funny webtastic video for us. [ feedback ]

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it is time for webtastic where our very own sara haines diction you will a video to put a smile on your face. >> this week we've gone to the dogs with a video featuring an english mastiff with a mind of his own. >> you know mornings when you don't want to get out of bed? lincoln the dog can certainly relate. >> linc, get down. get down. get down. get down. get down. get off the bed. get off this bed. linc, get off. get off the bed. get down. get down. get down. get down. don't you growl.

you get down. time to wake up. you get off the bed. will you get up now? you had enough sleep? you get off. you good et down. get down. >> it's never happening. >> get down. get down. >> she is no cesar milan. >> the kids climb on him, the cat climbs on him. they created a monster.

you should get a mastiff. >> oh, my gosh. >> they are ready for their big close-up. today's ambush makeovers. >> and "everyone has a story." an inspiring story. [ mother ] you can't leave the table till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. could've had a v8... [ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily?

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we are back on this thirsty thursday with the second ambush makeover of the week. our team recovered from tennessee just in time to grab two lucky ladies off the plaza. >> working their magic is our resident makeover time, stylist to the stars louis licari and "today" contributor jill martin. >> it was a great crowd. we found this nice family. mom and daughter. >> mother/daughter team. we'll start off with the daughter. kristen.

she had the same look for as long as she can remember. she was thrilled when we approached her on the plaza. >> you tell me you're not an overbearing pushy mom, but you have a few tips for us during this makeover. >> yes. she has a prominent position as a customer service rep and i think she could look better. she could accent her figure, make-up, look better. she wears minimal make-up. >> what do you think about that advice? >> i agree. i think with my busy lifestyle i minimized things. it will be fun to do something different. >> what do you think your hubby randy will think of all this? >> he'll love it. he would be open to anything. he wouldn't care. he'd love to have me do something different, i'm sure. if it makes me happy, i'm sure he would be happy. >> sounds like a good guy. >> the whole family is here. randy, raise your hand. her sons alex, zachary, adam and father merwyn.

>> here is kiersten before. let's see the new you, kiersten. oh, my god! wow! all right, guys. take a look. >> ready to turn around? take a peek. >> oh, wow. >> gorgeous. >> wow, thank you. >> look right there at this camera right here. >> tell us about the hair. >> this is a perfect example how a series of small changes can really change your whole look. we gave her that great shape around the face and the layers. face, shape and layers is so important. that sculpts your face. a little pinch of make-up. i softened her hair color which i bet you colored at home. i tried to even it out. add a few subtle highlights. >> randy's eyes are pooling up.

what do you think? >> i think she's beautiful. i mean, you were beautiful before, but you look beautiful now, too. just gorgeous. i love it. i'm glad you didn't get your hair cut too short or anything crazy. you look beautiful. really. your smile. >> this is like a love letter. >> that dress is hot. >> i love red, especially for fall. this is by maggie london and this beautiful cuff and earrings by kendra scott. >> big round of applause for kirsten. now we move on to kirsten's mom. she stopped coloring her hair in 19 8. today is her birthday. she turns 70 today. >> happy 70th birthday. we are going to change your whole look. what do you think?

she's been growing her hair since she's been 40. what do you think about us changing it? >> it would be great. i haven't seen her in anything but gray. >> brunette, redhead, what do you think? >> whatever you think. make me look younger. >> you got it. ready to look 40? >> i am. >> i am, too. don't turn around yet. here comes nancy. happy birthday, girl. wow! all right. you guys ready? one, two, three! >> oh, my god! >> merwyn, yeah, baby. you want to see yourself? >> i would love to. >> turn around, darling. >> oh, my gosh. this is me? >> yes. allegedly it's you. that hairstyle is adorable on you.

>> that is so cute. sassy. spin right there and look in that camera. >> that is an amazing change. >> she had beautiful gray hair. when you have gray hair like that, people say why change it? this is why you change it. it adds depth and it took off 10 to 15 years. and that's without the make-up. we gave her this incredibly sassy hairdo. it's young, it's fun. it can be groomed with her fingers. >> what do you think? >> i'm afraid to take her to my coffee group because these guys who are a little older th eer t am, they'll attack her. >> the dress is london times. to celebrate her birthday we wanted to give her something. she lost all her items, all her luggage. we wanted to give her something to celebrate in. >> happy birthday to mother and daughter. so beautiful. thank you, lewis.

jill, you always do such an awesome job. pull out your handkerchiefs, everybody. >> "everyone has a story" honors one special lady and her struggle to have a baby. alright let's break it down. mom, pop it. ♪ two inches apart, becky. two inches. t-minus nine minutes. [ ding ] [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls. let the making begin. ♪ let the making begin.

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winner. elizabeth stewart wrote to us about her devastating struggle with infertility. >> let's listen to elizabeth's beautiful letter. >> i would ever know what it was like to hold a baby of my own? this was a question that weighed heavy on my mind for many years. it's just not the right time. you just need to relack. it will happen in god's time. these are just a few of the phrases that i hated to hear. most of the time coming from the mouth of someone that didn't understand struggles with infertility. working at a high school at the time where there were 13 pregnant students didn't make it any easier. finally, after six years of trying, we found out we were expecting twins. i can't even explain the excitement the following weeks brought. finding out that we were going to have one boy and one girl just made it that much more exciting. that excitement was replaced with absolute distraught at just

20 weeks gestation. our baby boy's membranes ruptured and there was nothing the doctors could do to save them. the i delivered him stillborn the next day. his sister followed shortly after. the difference was that she was still alive. i held her tiny little body until her heart stopped beating. it was one of the hardest things i've ever done. one year and one week after losing the twins, we were blessed with our little girl lilya. she was the love of our lives. we decided we would have one more child and be done. maybe that is why we were surprised when we saw four babies on the screen. because of our past experience, i never dreamed that i would actually carry four healthy babies. i proved myself wrong by carrying them 31 weeks and five days. i'm not sure what i did to deserve these blessings i've been given, but i thank god every day for choosing me.

>> elizabeth is here. half of them are crying, but they're all here. elizabeth is here with her husband anthony, oscar, harrison, benjamin and their wonderful stepson caleb. we completely lost control. mama was crying, too, reliving the whole thing or just exhaustion from the kids? >> no, it is. it's reliving it. >> you said at one time that you would rather have never been pregnant than have a miscarriage. when you lost the two children. >> yes. >> what gave you the courage to want to try again? >> at that point i knew. i knew what it was like to have a baby. they were my children. i didn't have them living any more. i still wanted children.

>> were you afraid it would happen again? >> when you heard the second time you got pregnant you weren't having one baby, not two, not three, not four. >> was it hallelujah? >> i just did not think we would ever care why i four and have four healthy babies. there was a little bit of fear. i just placed it in god's hands and said if it's meant to be, it will be. if not, then we have lilya. >> took a lot of faith. >> it sure did. >> how are you handling everything, by the way? >> well, this is a little bit out of our routine. with a lot of routines. it takes a lot. >> you guys are an amazing couple, an amazing family. i know, baby. it's okay. >> we are going to try to calm

everybody down and when we come back, allison love from the upcoming broadway show "scandalous" -- i can't believe i just said that, performs a song written just for elizabeth and her beautiful family. these great glasses. you paid...wow. hmmm. let's see if walmart can help you find the same look for less. okay. see? walmart has all these leading eyewear brands and styles. rockstar! really? yeah. oh, wow! oh, black frame looks good on you. yeah? you can get a complete pair starting at just -- $38. really?! and did you know that our glasses come with a free 12-month replacement guarantee? i didn't know walmart had all this. the price is impressive, the quality is too! come to walmart and see for yourself. find quality eyewear brands starting at just $38. only at walmart. what are they fitting, aliens? some aerosols may just mix with them. can febreze remove them? [ moderator ] describe the smell. it's very pleasant. some kind of flower maybe? ♪ awww, oh yuck! [ male announcer ] febreze air effects doesn't mix, it actually removes odors so you can breathe happy.

has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. mom: what's that, rosie ? ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ hi there ! let's learn to clap ! clap, clap yeah ! like that ! you're sooo big ! sooo big !

a-b-c-d-e-f-g a-b-c-d-e-f-g ♪ 'cause we were made for each other, ♪ ♪ for always toy sfx: h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. q-r-s q-r-s.

♪ everyone has a story >> we are with back with "everyone has a story" honoring elizabeth stewart who is here with her husband anthony and their incredible brood. >> it's time for you to hear the song david friedman and i wrote just for you. here to perform it is the wonderful and talented broadway performer allison love. the song is called "i have you." ♪ we each have a question ♪ we ask when we're alone ♪ mine was would i ever hold ♪ a baby of my own

♪ people gave me answers ♪ that i didn't want to hear ♪ but i kept on dreaming ♪ hoping praying ♪ year after year ♪ god give me a baby ♪ a child to call my own ♪ a tiny life to rock and sing to ♪ a precious life to love and cling to ♪ ♪ was that too much to ask the heavens for ♪ ♪ how could i be sure ♪ the heavens they stayed silent ♪ and it just broke my heart ♪ to think the heavens hadn't heard ♪ my prayers tore me apart

♪ but still i kept on praying ♪ that's all that i could do ♪ i just prayed and prayed and prayed ♪ ♪ that i'd have you ♪ then god gave me a baby ♪ in fact he gave me two ♪ i thought my dreams have all come true now ♪ god you really have come through now ♪ ♪ but just before they saw the light of day ♪ ♪ god took them away ♪ i thought oh god whatever i have done ♪ i know it's true ♪ you true you'd never hurt or punish me because that's not what you do ♪ so i kept on praying ♪ in just over a year ♪ my prayers were finally

answered and my precious child was here ♪ ♪ they say that when you pray your prayers come back a hundred fold ♪ ♪ but would our asking for another child be way too bold ♪ ♪ but ask we did ♪ we prayed that god would give us just one more ♪ ♪ and god said no ♪ you can't have one ♪ instead i'll give you four ♪ so god gave me my baby ♪ in fact he gave me five ♪ my earthly dreams have come to me now ♪ and through it all now ♪ i've come to see now ♪ god i know for sure one thing is true ♪ ♪ i have the greatest gift of all ♪

♪ cause i have you ♪ i have you >> gorgeous, allison. we'll be right back.

♪ god gave me a baby ♪ in fact he gave me two >> we are back with "everyone has a story" honoring one very special family. >> allison love performed "i have you" for the stewart family. with us is david friedman and david wiel.

>> what did you think of the song? >> it was gorgeous. >> she actually in fairness couldn't hear it. we had screaming babies. we called security and had to have a few removed. everyone is back. >> it was really moving. >> as if you don't have enough on your plate right now. >> we are going to present you with a little gift. this comes from diapers.com. they wanted to donate $2,000 worth of goodies you'll probably need to keep your family happy and healthy. you'll get a certificate and you can pick up a few things. >> sure you can, why not? >> david has interesting news going on. >> in addition to doing "scandalous," i'll be at 54 below. i'm doing my first solo act monday october 22nd and october

29th. >> that's awesome. you're in hollywood, you're with me. >> tomorrow "twilight" saga star. >> wacky beauty trends for fall that work. have a grade thirsty thursday, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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